Father and Son, Mothers and Daughters
by Charlie O'Kelley
Summary: 18 months after the season 3 finale, a short 2 shot fluff piece.  ***Chosen as a finalist in the Castle Family Category for the Castle Fan Awards!***
1. Chapter 1

Father and Son, Mothers and Daughters

Just a short two shot future fic that popped into my head. This takes place about a year from the end of season 3. I do not own these characters, I am just borrowing them for some fun. I do not own these characters.

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><p>"How are you doing, Richard?"<p>

"Fine, Mother," he said as he pulled out his crooked bow tie.

"Come here, son," she said fondly as she moved to tie his tie for him.

"Thank you, Mom," he smiled at her. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course," she said.

"Can you go check on Kate? I know Lanie and Jenny are there but…"

"I'll be happy to, kiddo." Martha gave her son kiss on the cheek then left the room.

"May I come in?" Jim Beckett asked as he pushed the door open slightly.

"Sure. You aren't coming to tell me she changed her mind, are you?" he asked with a smile.

"Not a chance. Thanks for sending Martha to her," Jim said.

"I know she is missing her mom today. She hasn't said anything but I know Kate. Not that my mother is anything like hers but I thought it might be helpful."

"It is, Rick. I know that she probably has never said anything but I know that part of her was afraid of today. Not the marrying you part, just the part where her mother isn't here to be with her."

"I know. If there was any way that I could change that, I would," Rick said.

"I know, son," Jim said patting Rick's shoulder. "Look, I know you've done this before and it's not really my place to say anything but I just wanted to give you some advice that my dad gave me before my wedding."

"Okay," Rick said softly, a bit surprised and touched that his almost father in law was doing this.

"Just love her, and let her know how much, every day. Sure, some days Katie is going to try to push you away, some days she is going to try to run. Some days, she is going to hold on so tight you never think she'll let go. You know how stubborn my Katie is and how strong."

"That I do," Rick thought to the time he almost lost her after she was shot at Montgomery's funeral and how it was her strength and stubbornness that got her through her long recovery.

"Her mother was stubborn and strong just like that and the toughest thing for me was to figure out when to help her and when to let her do things on her own."

"But if I can help her, I want to."

"I know, that's why it is so tough to step aside and let her do what she wants or needs to. Just don't step back. She will need you at her side. Eventually, she will see that you are always there for her and she will let you help more. I know that you are smart enough to figure out when you need to step aside or when to help."

"The first time we met," Rick said with a smile. "You said 'Unless I was a lot dumber than I looked.'"

"Yeah, that didn't really come out the way that I meant it," Jim laughed.

"Well, I felt pretty dumb later that night. I went over to her place just after you left and we had a big fight."

"Well, it obviously turned out okay or we wouldn't be here today."

"I'm a lucky man," Rick said.

"So are you and my Katie planning on giving me some little grandchildren anytime soon?" Jim asked suddenly.

"Um," Rick stumbled over his words, not quite comfortable in speaking of this to Kate's dad.

"I sure hope you have already talked about it because that's not something you wait to talk about after the wedding," Jim commented.

"No, no. We've talked about it. Just haven't decided on exactly when or how many yet."

"Katie will be a wonderful mother."

"She will. She loves little ones. I think she's just worried about not having her mom there with her for it."

"She'll have your mother there and that will help. Rick, you know what I realized after Kate was shot?" Rick shook his head. "Family doesn't just mean by blood, it's who you let into your heart. It had just been Katie and I for so long then all of a sudden there you all were. The hospital would only let me in but I had to convince them that you and her partners were just as much family as I was."

"I never did thank you for that. Letting us go see her. I don't know how I would have made it, if I couldn't see that she was alive. I thought that I had lost her, right when I finally admitted to myself and her how I felt," Rick said quietly.

"That was a scary day," Jim Beckett fell quiet for a moment thinking about how he came so close to losing his daughter.

"Dad, can I come in?" Alexis called from the hallway. Both men were glad for the distraction.

"Sure, pumpkin. You look wonderful," he said to his daughter in her emerald green bridesmaid dress.

"Thanks, Dad. You do too. Nervous?"

"Actually, no," he smiled. "I'm sure about this, no need to be nervous."

"Are you ready?" Alexis asked.

"Just about. Can you go and give this to Kate?" he asked handing her a small box and note.

"Of course," she smiled at him.

"Alexis, give me another minute or two with your dad and I'll go with you," Jim said.

"Sure, Mr. Beckett. I'll be right outside," Alexis said as she walked to the door before mumbling mostly to herself. "I wonder if this wedding will give Ashley any ideas."

"What?" Rick squeaked.

"Kidding, Dad," she grinned her big smile then winked at him. "Just kidding!"

"She's a sweet girl, Rick," Jim said after Alexis walked out of the room. "You've done well raising her."

"It still amazes me sometimes how great she is," Rick said with a soft smile on his face.

"One last piece of advice, Rick. Don't go to bed angry. Jo and I had several sleepless nights but we always followed that piece of advice. It's not easy, hell sometimes it feels next to impossible. We had twenty three wonderful years by following that advice though."

"Thank you," Rick said sincerely. "I've never really had much of a father figure, certainly no one who would care to give advice to me. Well, good advice at least."

"We're family now," the older man said simply.

"Does that mean I get to call you Dad?" Rick asked with a big grin.

"If you'd like," Jim said surprising Rick. "As I said, we're family now. Actually one last piece of advice, something my father in law said at my wedding. I was going to say it at the reception but I figure that Katie just might try to shoot me so I'll just tell you."

"What's that?"

"May all your troubles be little ones," he said with a grin and a wink.

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><p>End Part 1 of 2<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Father and Son, Mothers and Daughters Part 2

Here is the second half of my two-shot future fic. I do not own these characters, I am just borrowing them for some fun.

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><p>"You look beautiful, Kate," Martha said once the two women were alone. She lightly placed her hands on the seated woman's shoulders as their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror.<p>

"Thank you, Martha," Kate said as she smoothed imaginary wrinkles from the long white skirt of her wedding dress.

"Richard will be speechless," she smiled as Kate chuckled.

Kate was still a bit amazed that she was about to become Mrs. Richard Castle. They had been through so much together, gunshots, betrayal, heartbreak, and finally finding out who was behind her mother's murder just last month. It had taken over thirteen years but with Rick's help, they discovered the truth. Kate looked at the flamboyant woman helping her and was glad that she was soon to be her mother in law.

"Thank you, Martha," Kate said as she covered one of her hands.

"You already said that, dear."

"No. I mean for helping me today. I'm, I'm very happy to marry your son but part of me has been dreading this day," the younger woman said softly.

"You miss your mother," she said in a surprisingly non-flamboyant and serious tone. Kate broke eye contact and just nodded her head.

"I know it's nothing like what you've been through but I missed my mother more than anything on my wedding day, the second one. She never really approved of me having Richard out of wedlock and we were never as close again as we once were. Even so, she was at my first wedding doing all the things a mom was supposed to do and say. Other than the obvious, of course."

"The obvious?" Kate asked a bit confused.

"The talk about the wedding night. Richard was three at the time," she said finally getting Kate to smile again. "My mother passed away a few years later and when I got remarried, I suddenly realized just how much I missed her."

"I miss her everyday."

"I know you do, kiddo," Martha said as she gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"You've been such a help getting everything ready for today, I can't thank you enough."

"You don't need to thank me, I was happy to help you, dear. It was a change to actually be able to help with a wedding," she said before realizing that talking about her son's previous marriages probably wasn't a good idea today.

"Let me guess, the first wedding, they eloped and the second time, Gina took care of everything."

"Exactly. Gina wouldn't even let me help with Alexis. She insisted on having one of her friends that Alexis didn't even know help instead."

"How did Alexis take to that?"

"Not too well. She was in a very shy phase then and was nervous enough around me. All I can say is that it's a good thing that friend had fast reflexes and was able to grab a trashcan before Alexis threw up on Gina's dress."

Kate laughed as the girl they were speaking of chose that moment to knock lightly and peek in the door.

"You're beautiful, Kate," Alexis said. "Your dad is waiting outside for you. And my dad wanted to me to give you this."

Kate took the small box and seeing the looks on the two redhead's faces, realized that they didn't know anything about the gift. She opened it up to find a locket. It wasn't a fancy jewel encrusted locket that screamed its expense. It was a simple piece, beautiful in its understated elegance. It was something that she would be able to wear at work and not worry about. She opened the locket and blinked back the tears when she saw her mother's smiling face looking back at her.

"He sent a note also," Alexis said softly handing it to her.

My dearest Kate,

I know that you are probably missing your mother more today

than any other day. I just wanted you to have at least a little

piece of her with you as you walk down the aisle.

Always,

Rick

(soon to be the happiest and luckiest man in the whole entire universe!)

Kate's tears dried up as she read the last line and could just imagine him practically bouncing in excitement.

"Your dad is crazy," Kate said with a smile.

"Of course," Alexis replied. "Want me to help you put it on?"

"Please," Kate said as she took it from the box and handed it to her almost stepdaughter. "Can you tell him thank you and I'll be ready in a few minutes?"

"Sure," Alexis said as she reached over to give Kate a hug. "I'm so excited for you."

"You aren't going to throw up on my dress, are you?" Kate asked jokingly as she returned the hug.

"Gram!" Alexis exclaimed. "I had the stomach flu, I didn't mean to."

"That's okay, dear. We should have taken that as an omen," Martha whispered in Alexis' ear as she walked the young woman to the door. "You go ahead, I need to tell Kate one more thing."

"Gram," she said in a stage whisper and a twinkle in her eyes. "I think Kate knows about the wedding night. And if not, I'm sure Dad will explain."

"Oh, you! Go back out there and stop embarrassing Kate," Martha said, not commenting further on Kate's flushed cheeks as she stood and smoothed her skirt again.

"Kate, when Richard married Meredith and Gina, I felt I was losing my son. I know this is cliché but this time, I feel like I am gaining a daughter."

"You're going to make me mess up my makeup, Martha," Kate said as she reached for some tissues.

"I don't mean to do that, dear. I just want you to know how glad we are for you to become a member of this family."

"I'm happy, too. I feel like I am the happiest and luckiest woman in the whole entire universe to be joining such a great family. The sweetest stepdaughter and the coolest mother in law. And Rick, of course," she said as almost an afterthought bringing a smile to both women faces.

"Just after my first wedding my mother in law suggested that I call her Mom. She knew that I wasn't that close to my mom right then. I know you probably won't be comfortable with that. I don't want you to think that I'm trying to take your mom's place, but if you would like to call me Mother like Richard does, you are more than welcome to."

Kate didn't say anything; she didn't know what to say. She just reached out and squeezed Martha's hand letting her know how much that meant to her. They both knew that Kate wouldn't call her Mother right away but they both also knew that she would some day.

"Let's go, dear. We don't want to keep everyone waiting."

FIN


	3. Chapter 3

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**This story has been chosen as a finalist in the Castle Fan Awards!**

Actually three of my stories have been. You can find _**Justice for Kate**_ under the Case Based Category, **_Father and Son, Mothers and Daughters_** under the Castle Family category and then a new one that I am just posting to now. The new one is called _**Team Building**_ and it is in the Awards Category.

Just check the link above and remove the spaces to vote for your favorite story! Thanks!


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